Climate histories can be reconstructed from a number of natural 'archives' including tree-rings, speleothems (e.g., stalagmites, stalactites and flowstones) as well as the 'fossils' that get deposited and preserved in waterlogged lake sediments and peatlands (e.g., pollen grains, algae, testate amoeba). Once well-dated records of climate history are reconstructed palaeoclimate scientists, archaeologists and historians are able to examine the possible impacts that climate changes may have had on past civilisations as well as the opportunity to examine the response of historical and prehistorical civilisations and societies to any such past climate changes. Additionally, past changes in climate can also impact upon the natural environment and may cause vegetation and landscape changes which may have effects on other resources such as water availability. There are few palaeoclimate data from northeast Turkey that can be used to assess changes in climate within Turkey as well as teleconnections across Southwest Asia; this is crucial as two important rivers - the Euphrates and Tigris - have their source in eastern Turkey. This paucity of high resolution palaeoclimate data from this region therefore represents an important gap in our understanding of late Pleistocene and Holocene global change. This project therefore attempts to increase our knowledge and understanding of climate-human-vegetation-landscape interactions in northeastern Turkey and adjoining regions.

The project adopts a multi-proxy/indicator approach with 4 distinct, but inter-related components. Locational correspondence is achieved by all datasets originating from the same study area.

Approved and supported by the Royal Geographical Society with IBG